Building a network of hope: First aid responders for mental health

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Sometimes, the most powerful movement begins quietly. Not with grand speeches or rallies, but with a circle of people gathered in one room, learning how to listen, how to comfort, and how to respond when a child whispers for help.

On the September 21 in McKinley, Taguig, Let Love Thrive marked its first anniversary by taking a bolder move towards its advocacy. Together with Amtec Global Solutions Inc. (AGSI) and Project AHA, the organization convened an unlikely coalition: civil society leaders, government officials, teachers, and community advocates, all united by one vision — to become Mental Health First Aid Responders for children and adolescents.

Christine Ramos

Inside that training hall of AGSI were representatives from the Commission on Human Rights, JCI Damas, RP Cruz Elementary School Taguig City, Tau Gamma San Pedro, Laguna 1st District ZONTA Club & LaguNanay, Mujer LGBT+ Org, Bata Foundation, and Bai Laya. Different sectors, different struggles, but one shared recognition: our young people are in crisis, and far too often, no one is there to catch them before they fall.

Christine Ramos, Executive Director of Let Love Thrive, said it best: “This initiative will not only strengthen and expand our advocacy, it will also ensure that more children and communities in need will be given proper care and support. While we may not be able to be physically present everywhere, our partners on the ground can be — and together, we are building a network of first responders who can make help and hope accessible anytime and anywhere for our children.”

The Silent Emergency

Mental health remains one of the least addressed issues in the Philippines. The statistics are sobering: mental illness is the third most common form of disability in the country, with at least 3.6 million Filipinos living with mental, neurological, or substance use disorders. For our youth aged 15 to 29, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

Behind every number is a story — of a teenager lost to despair, of a child silenced by trauma, of families left wondering what more they could have done. And yet, psychosocial support is rarely integrated into government services, leaving the most vulnerable — children in remote communities, LGBTQIA+ youth, Indigenous Peoples — without safe spaces or lifelines.

That is where Let Love Thrive is stepping in: not as a substitute for state action, but as a catalyst for grassroots change. Every participant in the training became more than just a professional or a volunteer — they became a lifeline.

Voices from the Ground

Dr. Flordelyn Umagat, Principal of RP Cruz Elementary School, shared: “We are happy to be part of this training because this gives us the opportunity to holistically and sustainably address the issues our students face at school and at home, equipping our teachers with additional knowledge to fully engage with them.”

Rosanne Marie Aldeguer of Bai Laya, a feminist organization, added: “A major part of our work is providing emergency response to marginalized women and girls under crisis. This training will guide our approach, integrating mental health and well-being across all our programs; especially in our education and literacy work within Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities.”

Kiara Mae Riano of Bata Foundation echoed:
“This is highly relevant to our mission, especially as our beneficiaries are teenage girls who have experienced abandonment, neglect, and trauma. Equipping social workers with trauma-informed care and first aid response skills will prepare them to support healing and growth.”

From Training to Movement

The program went beyond lectures — it immersed participants in child development, trauma-informed care, culturally sensitive approaches, and Psychological First Aid (PFA). By the end of the day, these teachers, advocates, and leaders were no longer just attendees. They were torchbearers of a movement.

For an organization only a year old, Let Love Thrive has already journeyed far — from providing psychosocial support in orphanages and prisons, to feeding programs, to disaster relief. But this milestone feels different. It is a leap from helping communities one by one, to weaving an entire safety net of trained responders across the country.

Because mental health advocacy, as Christine reminded the room, is not optional. It is life-saving.

A Revolution of Care

What Let Love Thrive has started in Taguig is more than a training — it is a revolution of care. One where every child’s cry for help will meet an open ear, every trauma will find informed support, and every community will have someone ready to respond.

It is a vision of a Philippines where mental health is no longer an afterthought but a shared responsibility. And like all revolutions, it begins with small, steady steps—one training, one responder, one saved life at a time.

In a world where despair can be contagious, Let Love Thrive is proving that hope can be too.

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